Build Bath & Shower

Older homes often lack bathroom exhaust fans . In the old days, if the bathroom was smelly or steamy, you were supposed to open a window to air it out. This isn’t a very logical ventilation method , especially when temperatures are below zero, or when the weather is 90°F and humid. Yet this time-honored method of bathroom ventilation is still enshrined in our building codes. According to the 2009 International Residential Code (sections R303.3 and M1507.3), a bathroom with an operable window does not need to have a bath exhaust fan . Why do we need exhaust fans? In spite of the code’s archaic loophole, builders should install an exhaust fan in every bathroom or toilet room — even when the bathroom has a window. A bath exhaust fan can perform several functions: It can exhaust smelly air , allowing fresher air to enter the bathroom. It can exhaust humid air , allowing dryer air to enter the bathroom. When operated for 24 hours per day or when controlled by a timer, it can act (in so...

In a general sense, the term “curtain wall” refers to an exterior wall that does not support loads other than its own weight. Curtain walls are therefore nonstructural, and serve solely to protect the building from the elements. Seismic and wind forces on a curtain wall are transferred to the supporting structure at anchorage points, where the curtain wall frame is attached to the building, generally at floors or columns. Although curtain wall systems may incorporate a variety of materials, we will focus on the type that is so ubiquitous, it has effectively become synonymous with the words “curtain wall”: the glazed curtain wall system . Glazed curtain walls usually consist of a metal frame, often aluminum, with infills of vision and spandrel glass . Other materials may be interposed between glazing units, including brick veneer , precast concrete, metal panels, and thin stone. The hallmark of these systems is a focus on large expanses of glass, which shrouds the building in a seemi...

Don't tell the kids, but it's time to start thinking about back-to-school shopping, particularly if you want to take advantage of state sales-tax holidays. According to CCH Wolters Kluwer , a publisher of financial information, three states—Florida, Illinois and Maryland—have added school-related sales-tax holidays this year. That brings to 16 the number of states offering such breaks to consumers. Those holidays start as early as this Friday, Juy 30. Here's a breakdown of what's available, courtesy of Carol Kokinis-Graves, CCH Senior State Tax Analyst : • Alabama: On Aug. 6-8, the following are exempt: clothing with a sales price of $100 or less per item; single purchases, with a sales price of $750 or less, of computers, computer software, school computer equipment ; noncommercial purchases of school supplies, school art supplies and school instructional materials with sales price of $50 or less per item; noncommercial book purchases with sales price of $30 or les...